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Failure to land job leads Lebanon woman to state prison

Jody Heagy, 38, was sentenced for her role in the burglary of a North Cornwall home in 2011

By STEVE SNYDERLebanon Daily News

Updated:
01/03/2013 05:56:42 PM EST

Given a chance to avoid a state prison sentence, a Lebanon woman failed on Wednesday.

Jody Heagy, 38, of 17 S. Eighth St. was convicted of burglary and criminal conspiracy in an August 2011 trial for her role in the daylight burglary of a North Cornwall Township home on March 21, 2011.

Heagy did not enter the Walden Road home but drove the vehicle the two burglars used. Ryan Walters of Lebanon was sentenced in November 2011 to three to 7½ years in state prison, while Shaun Briody of Bethlehem was sentenced to two to seven years in state prison.

Judge Samuel Kline originally sentenced Heagy to 11 months to two years in Lebanon County prison on Aug. 8, 2012, but prosecutors challenged the sentence because of the offense gravity score.

"The issue was whether a person was present at the time of the offense," said Chief Public Defender Brian Deiderick, who represented Heagy at sentencing Wednesday.

The appeal was granted, and the change in offense gravity score elevated Heagy to a possible state prison sentence.

"I went out on a limb believing you would get your life squared away and, quite candidly, you didn't do much at all," Kline told Heagy. "I'm extremely disappointed."

Kline said Heagy had five months to line up a job and had failed to do so.

"I did the best I could with retail," Heagy said. "I tried to get a job in retail."

The judge said she could have tried to get a job at a fast-food restaurant rather than in a store.

"I'm doing the best I can to straighten everything out," said Heagy, who told Kline she had a job lined up starting in February.

"February?" Kline asked, shaking his head.

One of the victims, who was at home at the time of the burglary, told Kline she still has flashbacks to the day of the burglary.

Heagy apologized to the victim.

"I am really sorry for what happened," she said. "If I wasn't high I wouldn't have been there. Please forgive me."

Kline said he was "not convinced," noted that the standard minimum sentencing range is 12 to 24 months and said, "I'm not going below the standard range."

"You dropped them off and picked them up," Kline said, referring to the co-conspirators. "The idea that 'I'm getting my life together.' ... There was a window to get really serious that might have convinced me (to give you a county prison sentence)."

Kline sentenced Heagy to one to five years in state prison, fined her $700 and ordered her to pay $2,641 in restitution.